Putting the "Serve" in "To Serve and Protect"

At about noon yesterday, Officer Andy Nguyen received a call about a man who had been riding a bus for a while and appeared a bit disoriented. The driver told Officer Nguyen that Alexandre Artman (81) had been riding the bus for the past hour and a half. Apparently, Mr. Artman boarded the bus early yesterday morning in Sunny Isles Beach and had made a couple of transfers throughout the day, which ultimately brought him to Boca Raton and Officer Nguyen.

First things first. Officer Nguyen gave him a bottle of water and had Boca Raton Fire-Rescue check him out to insure he was physically okay. Next, Officer Nguyen tried to find a relative or other caretaker for Mr. Artman. Mr. Artman's grown children live in another state. Sunny Isles Beach PD stopped by his home and we verified that he did not have anyone else in the area to assist him.

Officer Nguyen and a Sunny Isles Beach officer agreed to meet in Fort Lauderdale so that we could get Mr. Artman safely to his home. On the way, Officer Nguyen stopped and picked up a sandwich for Mr. Artman, because he had not eaten since earlier in the morning.

My parents spend part of the year outside of Florida. I certainly hope that if they were in a similar situation, they would encounter someone like Officer Andy Nguyen and the other people who helped Mr. Artman. You are not likely to see many incidents like this one in the media, but I think it's important for you to know that we take our service mission seriously. Thanks. Andy.

The Skim Scam

ATM skimming is a common form of identity theft, one of the fastest growing crimes in the US. Recent improvements in technology have made skimming easier.

Here's how it works. The thief places a prefabricated skimming device over an existing ATM. Many of these devices are so well designed that the skimming equipment looks like part of the ATM. Once you insert your card, the device stores your account information. Usually a tiny video camera or keypad (which sits over the top of the ATM's pad) records your PIN as you enter it. Using Bluetooth technology, your information is wirelessly transmitted to the suspect waiting nearby.

Thanks to great work by one of our detectives, we were able to identify, track and charge Mihai Arnautu with ripping off victims in Boca Raton. The investigation has now connected him to ATM skimming cases from Jupiter to Miami.

There are some simple steps you can take to better protect yourself against ATM skimming:

• Whenever possible, use ATMs located inside businesses.
• Pay close attention to the area surrounding the ATM. Make sure it is well-lit and open, not hidden from the road or by landscaping.
• Observe the ATM. Look at the card slot and wiggle it with your hand. If it’s loose, something is wrong.
• Look for mirrors or leaflet holders. These are areas in which criminals hide small video cameras to record your PIN.
• When punching in your PIN, always use one hand to cover the pad.
• Never use an ATM if someone is offering to help you with it.
• If you suspect a problem, call the police and notify the bank immediately.
• Check account balances and your credit score frequently.